The Q Tour World Playoffs came about this week in Turkiye with Liam Highfield, Steven Hallworth, and Florian Nuessle rising with skilled playing cards on the World Snooker Tour.
A complete of 24 rivals from the Q Tour novice circuit travelled to Antalya within the hope of attaining their skilled standing.
Highfield and Hallworth each regained their membership throughout the elite of the sport, whereas Nuessle advances to the professional ranks for the primary time in his profession.
Highfield had been on the principle tour between 2010 and 2024, reaching a career-high rating of quantity 39 on this planet rankings.
The Stoke potter made two rating occasion quarter-final appearances throughout his first stint.
The 34 year-old, who triumphed at Occasion 7 throughout this season’s Q Tour calendar, beat Habib Subah Humood 5-1 within the opening spherical of the Q Tour World Playoffs.
Highfield then overcame fellow Englishman Harvey Chandley with a 6-2 scoreline earlier than thrashing Iulian Boiko on the remaining hurdle.
Hallworth, in the meantime, will take a 3rd crack on the skilled scene after having fun with a earlier stint between 2014 and 2016, and once more between 2020 and 2022.
The 29 year-old, a Shoot Out semi-finalist two years in the past when competing as an novice top-up within the occasion, edged Luo Honghao within the first spherical of the Playoffs.
Hallworth backed that up with a 6-1 defeat of Ryan Davies earlier than orchestrating a 10-5 victory towards Mark Joyce.
The latter had produced a 147 break throughout his penultimate-round win over Dylan Emery, nevertheless it was Hallworth who scored closely on the ultimate day.
Austria’s Nuessle joined them to lastly fulfil his dream of turning into knowledgeable snooker participant for the primary time.
The 23 year-old had already suffered a number of close to misses, together with ending runner-up on the European Beneath-18 Championship in 2018 and once more on the European Beneath-21 Championship 4 years later.
That very same 12 months in 2022, Nuessle triumphed on the IBSF World Beneath-21 Championship, however by then tour playing cards weren’t being handed out for winners of IBSF-sanctioned occasions.
Within the Q Tour World Playoffs, he made positive that this chance wouldn’t slip by means of his fingers – turning into the primary participant from Austria to obtain a professional card.
Nuessle beat Joshua Thomond and Ehsan Heydari Nezhad within the opening phases earlier than hammering Andres Petrov 10-3 within the remaining spherical.
“I really feel joyful and relieved,” Florian Nuessle instructed the WPBSA. “I’m joyful for my household.”
“They’ve supported me all the best way and it wouldn’t be attainable with out them, however the greatest half was proving it to myself as a result of I’m my harshest critic.”
“I feel I held myself collectively nicely and did the fitting issues on the proper moments which hasn’t all the time been the case up to now.
“(The near-misses) had been positively on my thoughts – I’ve heard all of the tales of gamers not having the ability to recover from the road and also you don’t need that sort of feeling to be carried round with you for too lengthy as a result of it will get heavier and heavier.”
“I hope this may assist to raise Austrian snooker. I’ve had many experiences on the tour already and I feel I can go on and, not solely keep on tour, however do some injury and hopefully win titles.”
All three gamers will obtain two-year playing cards to take part on the World Snooker Tour throughout the upcoming 2025/26 and 2026/27 seasons.
They be part of Zhao Xintong, who had already safeguarded his promotion by means of ending in first place on the 2024/25 Q Tour rankings.
The Chinese language star, making a comeback from his 18-month ban from the game, gained 4 occasions throughout the common Q Tour season.
2025 Q Tour World Playoffs
Tour Card 1
Quarter-Finals
Dylan Emery 5-2 Ali Gharahgozlou
Mark Joyce 5-2 Connor Benzey
Steven Hallworth 5-3 Luo Honghao
Ryan Davies 5-4 Kuldesh Johal
Semi-Finals
Mark Joyce 6-2 Dylan Emery
Steven Hallworth 6-1 Ryan Davies
Last
Steven Hallworth 10-5 Mark Joyce
Tour Card 2
Quarter-Finals
Liam Highfield 5-1 Habib Subah Humood
Harvey Chandler 5-0 Dhiones Moraes Arent
Iulian Boiko 5-2 Alex Crenshaw
Vinnie Calabrese 5-1 Craig Steadman
Semi-Finals
Liam Highfield 6-2 Harvey Chandler
Iulian Boiko 6-5 Vinnie Calabrese
Last
Liam Highfield 10-3 Iulian Boiko
Tour Card 3
Quarter-Finals
Ehsan Heydari Nezhad 5-1 Ryan Thomerson
Florian Nuessle 5-3 Joshua Thomond
Oliver Sykes 5-1 Sean O’Sullivan
Andres Petrov 5-2 Vito Puopolo
Semi-Finals
Florian Nuessle 6-3 Ehsan Heydari Nezhad
Andres Petrov 6-3 Oliver Sykes
Last
Florian Nuessle 10-3 Andres Petrov
Featured photograph credit score: WST
